A Surfeit of Burgundies

For decades Dr. Hal has frequently declared, "My wife only drinks good Burgundies." He's got that right, but the truth of the matter is that his dictum applies to food as well as wine. And so, a recent craving for gooey, cheesy gougeres led me to a most pleasant imaginary sojourn in the province of Bourgogne which resulted in a somewhat extravagant dinner in the Burgundian style accompanied by a pair of outstanding vintage wines from the wine cellar that's really a walk-in temperature controlled insulated plywood box in the garage.

I have been to Burgundy twice, the first time on a wonderful bike trip circa 1979, and the second time on my first "grandes vacances" with Dr. Hal in 1989. Needless to say, I'm ready to go back any time! While the basic bones of Burgundy, the hills and vineyards, look very much like the Napa valley, only in Burgundy do you turn a corner to encounter a medieval chateau (real not faux) or a priceless Northern Renaissance altarpiece tucked away in an old hospital. But at the moment I was just touring inside my head, and it was time to hit the road!

My first stop on this culinary journey was a 1957 guide to the foods of France- Bouquet de France: An Epicurian Tour of the French Provinces authored by the founder and long-time editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine, Samuel Chamberlain. Mr. Chamberlain also illustrated this impressive tome, which I picked up in Caliban's, a used bookstore in Pittsburgh. It once belonged to a lady named Joan M. Kaplan, whose name is stamped on the cover in gold. Mrs. Kaplan, wherever you may be, please know that your book has found a happy home! While I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the fantastic meals awaiting anyone touring Burgundy by car (I imagine a sporty little two seater roadster), the recipes were not too appealing.

So, I moved on to Mireille Johnston's The Cuisine of the Rose: Classical French Cooking from Burgundy and Lyonnais (1982). I considered attempting some classic Burgundian dishes- Escargots Bourguignonne ( I don't think so!), Jambon Persille, Coeurs a la Creme, Coq au Vin. Thinking about these recipes helped shape my preliminary menu, but with a vegan dinner guest coming, I had to move away from the preponderance of butter, cream, and cheese which seemed to be listed as ingredients for every recipe. As Dr. Hal volunteered to devise his own Boeuf Bourguignon, I was left to round out the meal to my own, and our vegan guest's satisfaction.

The results of further rifling through my collection of French cookbooks was this
Menu -
Les Gougères
Grill-Braised Boeuf Bourguignon
Potatoes Savoyarde
Beans Maitre d'Hotel
Salade au Chou
Mousse Au Chocolate

Wines-
- 1999 Vincent Girardin Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune (white)
The white was really very good, even after 14 years.
- 1997 Domaine Chandon de Briailles Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune (red)
The red, while good, had faded some and would have been better a few years ago.
Sadly, both of these are now really too expensive to contemplate purchasing, the curse of very small production and a worldwide market. (Commentary by Dr. Hal)

Les Gougères
I can remember the first time I ever ate a gougere. It was from a bakery in Beaune, as big as my fist, crisp and brown on the outside, unctuously egg-y and cheese-y within.

1 1/2 c. whole milk + 1/4 c. for brushing the puff tops
1/2 c. butter
1 1/3 c. flour salt
Tabasco
pinch nutmeg
6 eggs
1 Tb Dijon mustard
2 1/2 c. coarsely grated Swiss (i.e. gruyere) cheese

Preheat the oven to 425°.

Heat the milk and butter together until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and add the flour all at once. Cook for about 2 minutes – until the mixture forms a ball and comes away from the sides of the pan.

Off the heat, beat in the salt, a few drops of Tabasco and the nutmeg. Beat in the eggs two at a time, making sure each two are completely blended before added the next ones. Stir in two cups of the cheese and the mustard.

Butter a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper. Form heaping teaspoonsful of dough about 3 inches apart. Brush the tops with milk and put a bit of grated cheese on top.

Bake about 20 minutes, do not open the oven door during this time. They are done when they look puffed and golden brown. Serve warm. Makes about 30 puffs.

Grill-Braised Boeuf Bourguignon a la Dr. Hal
In the first French Chef episode, circa 1963, Julia Child makes a Boeuf Bourguignon, and you may recall that it is featured as a daunting recipe in the movie Julie and Julia.  Boeuf Bourguignon is actually a pretty simple recipe- you brown the beef, braise it in red wine, add onions and mushrooms, thicken the sauce, and serve.

It seemed like another candidate for the grill-braised approach, which I have written about for short ribs.  The idea is to grill the meat first over high heat, giving it a serious browning without added fat.  next the meat is braised in a covered BBQ, oven, or on the stovetop, the sauce is thickened, accompaniments are added, and it is then served.

The French Chef recipe uses salt pork or bacon for lardons in the stew.  They are rendered first and their fat is used to brown the meat.  The grilling does not require additional fat, but some pork product is needed to enrich the flavor.  A  smoked pork chop,weighing about ½ lb, makes a fine substitution.  Though smoked, the flavor is very subtle and does not overwhelm the recipe.  The original recipe also calls for 18-24 small fresh white onions, which must be individually peeled.  This is by far the most tedious aspect of the recipe and is replaced here by frozen onions, which are great.

While certainly in Burgundy a Pinot Noir would be used for the cooking wine, I don’t think this is the best choice, as a suitably hearty Pinot would be quite expensive.  An alternative choice would be a fairly big Zinfandel or something in the Rhone wine family, a Syrah or Grenache based wine.  This matches better to the heartier flavors from the grilling and they are not priced as dearly.

Thus we have for the meats:
½ lb smoked pork chop
3 lbs boneless beef chuck
¾ bottle of hearty red wine
1 can beef broth
1 ½ Tb tomato paste
3 cloves mashed garlic
1 bay leaf
½ tsp thyme
salt and pepper

Cut the beef chuck into strips about 1.5” wide and 1-1.5”thick.  These will be grilled then cut into individual chunks for the stew.  Try to make the cuts when possible along the natural edges of the muscle, and cut away any extra fat or silver skin.  Salt and pepper the meat and grill it  over high heat for a couple of minutes on each side, or until the surface is significantly browned.  Try to brown as many sides as possible.  When done, transfer the meat to a cutting board and finish cutting it into individual chunks, around 1-1.5”.

Cut the pork off the bone into lardons about ¾ -1” long by ¼”x ¼”.  Brown these using a bit of oil in the pot that is going to be used to braise the stew, I use a large cast iron pot, but any heavy covered casserole, large enough to hold the ingredients, will be fine.  I suspect that an enameled pot is probably traditional.

Add the grilled meat, the wine (about ¾ of a bottle or so, leave yourself a glass), and the other ingredients to the pot.  The idea is to have the combined braising liquid to almost cover the meat.  Bring the stew to a simmer on the stovetop. It can then be cooked on top of the stove over low heat or in the oven at 325 degrees for 2-3 hours, until the meat is very tender but not completely falling apart.  The temperature needs to be regulated so that the braising liquid is just at a moderate simmer, with some steam bubbles evident.

Preparing the onions and mushrooms.
1 lb white mushrooms
½ Tb olive oil
1 ½ Tb butter
¼ tsp salt

1 package (14 oz) frozen small onions
1 Tb butter
about 3 Tb water
½ tsp salt

Clean and cut the mushrooms into halves or quarters depending on their size.  Heat the butter and oil in a large sauté pan until the butter begins to stop foaming, then add the mushrooms and salt.  Continue over medium high heat until the mushrooms are browned and most of the moisture has evaporated.  Set aside.

Put the frozen onions, along with the butter and water, in a sauté pan and heat until boiling.  Cover the pan so that the onions can steam until mostly thawed, about 3-4 minutes.  Remove the cover and let the remaining water evaporate, then continue sautéing over medium heat until the onions start to brown, about another 5-10 minutes total.  Set aside.

When the meat is done, remove it to a separate bowl.  If there is a significant amount of extra fat in the broth, it can be skimmed off, but this is not really necessary.  If there seems to be too much liquid and its flavor seems thin, it can be reduced over medium high heat to make a richer sauce.  If there seems to be too little liquid, extra beef stock can be added.

Boeuf Bourguignon components- onions, meat, sauce & mushrooms

Thickening the sauce.
3 Tb butter
3 Tb flour

Cream the butter and flour together in a small bowl with a rubber spatula or a fork.  Heat just the braising liquid in the pot to the simmer.  Whisk a few spoonfuls of hot braising liquid into the butter-flour paste until all lumps are gone, then gradually add the mixture to the pot of braising liquid.  Whisk the sauce until the thickener is fully combined and the sauce has thickened.  Add the meat, onions, and mushrooms and bring the stew back to the simmer, stirring occasionally. Correct the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.

The stew is ready to serve or it can be reheated later.  It can also be cooled, refrigerated and reheated in a day or two with no ill effects.  It can also be eaten cold from the refrigerator for breakfast, again with no ill effects.

Vegan-esque Stove-Top Potatoes Savoyarde
Adapted from The Way to Cook by Julia Child
I've had bad luck with these layered potato gratins- even when I parboiled the potatoes in advance my gratins always seemed to end up soupy and raw. This delicious specimen turned out to be an exception to the rule, it was perfect!. To please our vegan dinner companion I used olive oil, vegetable broth, and left his portion sans cheese. Made me feel like a chef reborn!

3 cups thinly sliced onions
2 Tb olive oil
2 1/2 lbs. boiling potatoes
2 cups vegetable broth
big pinch of dried herbs de provence or a mixture of dried basil, thyme, and oregano
1 large clove of garlic, pureed
Optional: 1 1/2 cups grated Swiss cheese

Over medium heat saute the onions in the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan large enough to ultimately hold all the onions and potatoes. Stir occasionally and cook until they are limp and tender, about 10 minutes or so. Remove the onions to a bowl.

While the onions are cooking, peel the potatoes and cut them into slices 1/8" thick. To avoid brown ugly potatoes, drop the slices into a bowl of cold water as you do them.

Add one cup of vegetable broth, the dried herbs, and the pureed garlic to the frying pan and bring it to a boil. Add the potatoes and onions, making rough layers as you do. Season well with salt and pepper and add enough broth to come two thirds of the way up the potatoes-onion mixture. Cover the pan and simmer for 15-20 minutes, watching to make sure that the liquid doesn't boil over, or until the potatoes are tender and the broth is almost all absorbed.

Just before serving, reheat the potatoes on medium-low and sprinkle some or all of the top with the Swiss cheese. Put the pan under the broiler, about 4-5 inches from the element, and broil until the cheese is nicely browned.
Serves 6

Beans Maitre d'Hotel
You can make this tasty bean dish with your own home cooked or canned beans. I had some exotic Rancho Gordo "Vallarta" beans festering in the cupboard that were begging to be cooked. Described as "Super rich heirloom bean originally from Jalisco, Mexico, now a favorite among Napa's best chefs." You could use any bean that you have festering - Julia C. suggests black beans, Great Northerns, navy beans, cannellini, pinto, etc. Find detailed instructions for cooking beans in my post Cassoulet & Company.

3 cups cooked beans or two cans of your beans of choice
2 large cloves of garlic, pureed
3 Tb olive oil
1/4 - 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
handful of fresh chopped parsley and/or other green herbs (basil, oregano, thyme)
salt & pepper

If using canned beans, drain them in a colander, rinse with hot water, and drain. Briefly saute the garlic in the olive oil in a saucepan. Fold in the beans, let them heat through, and gently stir in the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving toss in the chopped parsley or herb mixture. Serves 4-6.

Salade au Chou
An improvised mix of Napa cabbage, Japanese watermelon radishes, roasted cauliflower, and Dijon mustard vinaigrette

Mousse Au Chocolate Ambassade d'Auvergne
Adapted from Bistro Cooking by Patricia Wells.                                                                                   The Ambassade d'Auvergne is an old time Paris restaurant that specializes in the cuisine of it's namesake region, the Auvergne, which is located to the southwest of Burgundy. Pardon the liberty taken here, but this mousse is like eating the world's most delicious chocolate bar, but even better, because it's nice and creamy too. I was trepidatious about adding the orange liqueur because I don't like my chocolate flavors interfered with, but found that the small amount of liqueur served to intensify them without tasting "orange-y."

8 oz. bittersweet good quality chocolate (Lindt, etc.), broken into pieces
3 Tb orange liqueur (Grand Marnièr or Cointreau)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
8 Tb (4 oz) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
8 large egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
5 large egg whites

Place the chocolate, orange liqueur, and vanilla in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, and allow to cool until lukewarm. The mixture may seem to "seize up" at the beginning, but will smooth out as you continue to mix the butter in.

Love that ribbon!

Combine the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat, gradually increasing the mixer speed to medium high, until thick and pale yellow, and form the "ribbon." (Whites are stiff enough to make a ribbon trail from the beater that holds its shape.- See photograph.) Be patient, this can take a while. Next beat in the chocolate mixture while it is still warm. If necessary (only one mixer bowl), transfer the chocolate-egg yolk mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Wash and dry the stand mixer bowl until totally clean and dry, otherwise the egg whites won't whip properly. Place the egg whites in the clean mixer bowl. Beat the whites until they are stiff but not dry.

Stir one-third of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Do this slowly and patiently. Do not overmix, but be sure that the mixture is well blended.

Pour the mousse into a large serving bowl (1 1/2-2 quart capacity). A plain white soufflé dish looks "very French." Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the mousse for at least 6 hours before serving. Makes 8-10 servings.

The Hunt For Jewish Food: SF Bay Area

The Zaslavsky family in Philadelphia c. 1915. My grandmother is the little girl on the left.

I have been drawn out of my blog posting lethargy by a recent bout of food sleuthing. Tasked (by myself) with producing a mini bar-mitzvah buffet extravaganza for my mother's extended family in Modesto, I was soon on the hunt for local sources for Jewish & Yiddish foods. The occasion was a reception in honor of the publication of the McHenry Museum and Historical Society Stanislaus Stepping Stones magazine issue dedicated to the history of my mother's family, the Zeff nee Zaslavsky clan who have lived in Modesto since about 1918.

My grandmother was the second of nine children, and the colorful, larger than life stories of her and her siblings were the stuff of my childhood- there was my grandmother, who never learned to drive after a mishap in the 1930's when she took husband Sidney's car out unaccompanied and ended up crashing through the front window of the ice cream shop four blocks down the street. Maurice, the surgeon, who met his wife Margaret, also a physician, when he was a patient at UCSF with a grievous back infection (before antibiotics) and she was the resident who took care of him. Uncle Willie, the Superior Court judge and friend of Earl Warren who married us. Aunt Sue, the aspiring actress who made Tallulah Bankhead jealous during an audition and forgot her cancan panties the day that the family came to watch her perform in the Cavalcade of the Americas at the 1939 World's Fair in San Francisco.  Uncle Sam, her twin, who used to dance up the wall shouting "Look everybody, I'm Fred Astaire!" Uncle Babe, war hero, successful businessman and my father's golf buddy. Sadly, I never knew my great grandmother Pesse, who was the light of my mother's life. She passed away in 1942 from an adverse reaction to anesthesia during surgery.

My great grandfather Ben Zeff, his second wife Vally, and most of their children and grandchildren.

Sophisticated as the foodie scene may be around here, the Bay Area, unfortunately is known for its dearth of delis. So, it is with great pleasure that I share my menu, the sources that I discovered, and a few Zeff family recipes.

Best Sources:
Corned Beef, Pastrami, Corn Rye Bread, Chocolate Babka: 
Wise Sons Deli   3150 24th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110  (415) 787-3354
Runner-up: Corn Rye & Chocolate Babka-
Your local Trader Joe's, believe it or not! Know that the Chocolate Babka is stocked seasonally.                                                                      
Smoked Salmon:
Bi-Rite Market   3639 18th St,  San Francisco, CA 94110-1531  (415) 241-9760; 2nd location- 550 Divisadero St., SF (415) 551-7900
Salmon is cold smoked in-house
Runner-up:
Spence & Co. Nova Lox at your neighborhood Whole Foods.
Kosher Salami:
Hebrew National at Draeger's Markets (San Mateo, Menlo Park, Los Altos & Danville)
Smoked Turkey, Pickled Herring, & German-style mustards:
Dittmer's Gourmet Meats & Wurst-Haus   4540 El Camino Real, Los Altos, CA 94022,
(650) 941-3800 Don't get all excited when you see their corned beef and pastrami; it's made from top round and is way too lean! And make them slice the turkey for you fresh.
Runner-up: Pickled Herring- Blue Hill bay brand on sale in 26 oz. jars at Costco
I was able to order challah and bagels from these sources through my local grocery store which was much appreciated, as it cut down on the last minute running around.
Challah:
Esther's German Bakery  987 N. San Antonio Rd., Los Altos, CA 94022  (650) 941-4463
Esther's also delivers to groceries in San Francisco and on the Peninsula, and sells at local farmers markets, listed on her webpage.
Bagels:
House of Bagels   5030 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, Ca (415) 752-6000
Also House of Bagels-Mountain View located at 1712-D Miramonte Ave, Mountain View, CA, 94040 (650) 694-4888
These bagels have that tough water bagel crust and a soft interior, delicious with cream cheese!
Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels   477 S. California Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306  (650) 329-0700
Izzy's bagels have a softer and squishier exterior. Best fresh from the oven!
Overall, best stocked Kosher foods department:
Mollie Stone's Markets (Nine locations in Marin, San Francisco & on the Peninsula)
Fresh matzo, frozen chicken schmaltz(!), Kosher meats, chocolates, etc. etc. Where Bay Area families who actually keep kosher shop.

The buffet table

Recipes

To delve further into the history and many delights of Jewish cuisine, consult The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden, winner of the James Beard Foundation Cookbook of the Year award. So fun to look up a recipe and read that your mother's version is "Ukrainian style," which was exactly where the family emigrated from.

Jewish Chopped Liver
You either love it or you hate it. I hadn't cooked chicken livers in over twenty years and found them to be a little disgusting, but the results won raves from happy eaters.

3-4 hardboiled eggs, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup rendered chicken fat (schmaltz) (See Note)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 pound chicken livers, trimmed
1 cup flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Matzo, for serving

In a very large skillet, melt the butter and 1/4 cup of the chicken fat. Add the onion and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to brown, about 10 minutes.

Wash the liver, drain well, and pat dry on paper towels. Combine the salt and pepper with the flour in a pie plate. Dredge the livers in the flour mixture and add them to the skillet. Cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until barely pink inside, but crusty on the outside, about 8 minutes.

Put the hardboiled eggs in the bowl of a food process and process until crumbly and put them in a medium-size mixing bowl. (You can also hand chop them.) Scrape the livers into the bowl of the food processor and let cool slightly.  Pulse until the livers are finely chopped but not completely smooth. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of chicken fat and pulse to combine. Season to taste with more with salt and pepper.

Transfer the chicken liver to the bowl with the eggs and gently stir together. Taste again for salt and pepper. Press plastic wrap onto the surface and refrigerate until chilled, about 45 minutes. Serve with the matzo.

Chicken Schmaltz
Trim the raw chicken skin and fat from chickens before roasting and save it in the freezer until there is enough to render.

Put the fat and a little water in a small saucepan and cook slowly (1 ½-2 hours, depending on the quantity). Throw in a sliced onion and cook the schmaltz until the onion and cracklings are light brown. Cool the schmaltz and then strain it into a jar while it is still liquid.

Sourcing schmaltz: You can buy commercially made chicken schmaltz at stores that carry Jewish and Kosher foods. In the Bay Area you will find it in the freezer section of Mollie Stone’s Markets.

Pickled Herring in Sour Cream
Not my favorite, but they were swiping the bowl clean! Excellent on corn rye.

2 12-oz. jars pickled herring, either whole fillets or in chunks
2 cups sour cream
1 red onion, thinly sliced
Pepper, to taste

Drain the pickled herring in a colander. Place it in a bowl and stir in the sour cream and onion. Add black pepper to taste. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Makes 4 cups.

The dessert table: kugel, mandelbrot, babka, nut strudels, and honey cake.

Lokshen (Noodle) Kugel

12 oz. wide egg noodles, parboiled (slightly undercooked, 5-7 minutes) and drained
1 cup large curd cottage cheese, full fat (if you can find it; otherwise use farmer's cheese or full fat small curd cottage cheese)
1/3 cup sugar
4 Tb salted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the baking dish
4-6  eggs, well beaten
1 tsp.vanilla
1-2 tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup white raisins

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Mix all the ingredients together and bake in a well buttered baking pan. (You can use any size pan as long as the pudding is at least 2 “ high.)

Bake the kugel for about 45-50 minutes or until it is lightly browned on top.

Mandelbrodt 
Jewish biscotti! To minimize crumbling, slice the long loaves into individual cookies while they are still warm. These taste sort of lousy until they have had their second baking.

3 eggs
1 c. sugar
½ c. salad oil
½ c. (or more) toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
½ t. vanilla
3 c. flour
2 ½ t baking powder
whole raw almonds

Beat the eggs, add the sugar, and then the oil. Mix in the chopped almonds. Sift the dry ingredients together, and add them to the egg mixture. The dough should be wet, but firm enough to form loaves. (Add a little additional flour, if needed.)

With floured hands, form three long narrow loaves (1 ½’ high x 2 ½” wide) 2” apart on greased cookie sheets.  Push raw whole almonds, with points parallel to the width, into the dough at 1” intervals.

Bake in a 350° oven for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly brown on the edges. Immediately cut into 1” wide slices by cutting between the almonds on top. Turn the cookies on their sides, and return to the oven and bake again until lightly browned, another 20-25 minutes. Makes 3-4 dozen cookies.

Pernil, ¿por qué no?

A guest post by my (erstwhile) better half.

Hal’s Variation on Mark Bittman’s Variation on Pernil

A few years ago, Mark Bittman of the New York Times published his favorite 25 recipes.  Of these, one for roast pork in the Porto Rican style, a so-called Pernil, caught my attention.  A wet rub of onion, garlic, spices and vinegar was spread on the outside of a giant fresh pork shoulder and then slow cooked in the oven until very tender.  See the original write-up in the NYT- The Minimalist: Let the Oven Do the Work.

I tried this a couple of time with good success, but there is always room for improvement.  For one thing, his recipe called for spreading the mix over the exterior of the roast, and only just before cooking.  The roast was also in the oven for around 4 hours or so, resulting in a (well, wonderful for me) smell of roast pork that took a couple of days to dissipate.  It seemed that these were two avenues for improvement.

I now bone out the small “7” shaped bone from the roast, and also take advantage of the opportunity to clean out some of the fat and membranes, etc., from the interior of the roast.  Don’t worry, there is still plenty of fat for both flavor and moistness of the finished roast. The wet rub is then allowed to marinate the interior of the meat for at least a few hours (or overnight) before cooking.

The second main “improvement” was to move the cooking outdoors.  In my case this is in a large, covered charcoal grill, under mostly indirect heat.  This keeps the smell and heat outdoors, and increases the smoky character of the outside of the roast.  It also makes it suitable for summer cooking, when it would needlessly heat up our un-air-conditioned homestead. My grill is big enough to cook both the Pernil and a boned and rolled, full turkey breast at the same time, just in case you have a crowd coming for dinner.

But, I digress.  I have made some alterations to the spice mix, adding a fresh chili and smoked paprika for additional flavor and bite, while keeping the original concept still intact.

The cooking time will be somewhat variable, depending on equipment and style, but it will take about 3-5 hours under most circumstances.  You are looking for low and slow, not fast and hot.  The starting product is sold in my local grocery as a pork shoulder roast, is usually about 6-8 lbs as sold, and looks something like this:

At my upper-end market, this pork roast is around $3.50 a pound, so even a very large roast is affordable.  They probably don’t sell this sort of thing at Whole Foods.  If you happen to have a Mexican market in your area, I assure you they will have this at a good price.

There is a little bone hidden inside this roast, which must be removed.  This is not too difficult; just take your time.  Neatness does not matter too much, as the whole thing gets re-wrapped in the end.  After my boning, and after removing some of the extra fat, we have:

At this point the wet rub is made, in a food processor.  Combine:

1 whole onion
4 cloves garlic (or more if you prefer)
2 Tbs fresh oregano or 1TB dried
1 Tb ground cumin (don’t leave this out)
1 large fresh chili, I usually use Pasilla, which is readily available, but Anaheim would be OK
1 Tb salt
1 Tb paprika, smoked is preferred
2 tsp ground black pepper
Olive oil as needed (a couple of Tb, I suppose)
1 Tb red wine vinegar

Pulse until relatively smooth, but not completely pulverized:

Spread this mixture over the inside and outside of the boned pork, and let sit, refrigerated, for a few hours or overnight.  The roast then needs to be re-tied back to something like its original shape, using heavy cotton string, as shown:

At this point, fire up the grill, either with charcoal or propane.  The idea here is to slow cook the roast, but it is helpful to put a bit of heat onto the roast at the beginning to both give some color and flavor and to speed things along.  I put the charcoal off to one side, have the roast near the coals for ~10 minutes per side at the start, then move it off to the side for extended cooking.  For a large roast, additional coals will need to be added after ~1.5 hrs.  After a couple of hours the internal temperature should be up to 120 degrees F or so.  At this point you want the temperature to slowly get to around 150F to 165F.  At the lower temperature the meat will be moist with some fat still evident.  This is where I like it.  At the
higher temperature (and significantly longer cooking time) it will get more like a fall-off-the-bone (if there was one) roast pork.  I am rarely that patient.

The roast can rest, covered, for 15 minutes up to probably an hour or so.  Since there is no bone, it can be very easily sliced, to produce:

Pour a hearty red wine or beer, have some veggies and a pilaf or roasted potatoes, and all will seem right with the world, if just for a few minutes.

Everyday Treats

Roasted asparagus with proscuitto & Sauce Gribiche

In the past few months family obligations, happy and sad, have taken priority over cooking and writing about food. Most of our meals of late consist of a roasted veg, grilled meat, and bread. (Happily, the Manresa Bread project is now a resident of our Sunday farmers market, so the bread is really great bread.) Friday nights are reserved for our ongoing exploration of frozen store-bought appetizers- more about at some future date.
I have found that spending a little time throwing together something extra adds tremendously to the quality of our meals. Here are some of the ideas that I've been doing recently, and me being me, two of them are desserts, naturellement!
Zuni Cafe Cookbook "Four-Minute" Egg Gribiche
This tangy sauce gives any vegetable a soupcon of interest. Even the redoubtable Dr. Hal, who professes to dislike mayonnaise-y mixes, gives it a thumbs up. For some bizarre reason, I find it quite fun to crack open a coddled egg, and also like the fact that as long as you maintain the basics of this sauce (egg, mustard, and olive oil) it lends itself to whatever flavorings you might have in the cupboard.
Makes about 1 3/4 cups

1 large egg
Salt
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups olive oil
1 Tb. chopped shallot, scallion, or mild onion
1 Tb. chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, tarragon, etc)
1 Tb. capers, rinsed & dried between towels, then slightly chopped
2 tsp. sherry or red wine vinegar
Pepper

Place the egg in a small pot of barely simmering water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Drain and cool the egg in a bowl of ice water.

When the egg is cool (I let it cool while I chop the onions, herbs, etc.), crack it and scoop into a small bowl. Stir in a pinch of salt and the mustard. Mash the egg and mustard together with a whisk, and then begin whisking in the oil, a few drops at first, and then gradually increasing the flow to a small stream, whisking continually. Stop adding oil when the sauce is satiny and has lots of body, like a hot fudge sauce. Stir in the onion, herbs, and capers. Add the vinegar and salt (won't need much if you use the capers) and pepper to taste.

Right now we are eating this sauce with fresh asparagus, but it is also extremely attractive stirred into some steamed new potatoes, for a quick potato salad. I really can't think of a vegetable that would not be brightened by a touch of Egg Gribiche!

No matter how hasty the meal, dessert always perks things up. here are two that are easy to keep around, in freezer and cookie jar.

Don't hesitate! This sorbet melts in a flash, in or out of the mouth.

David Lebovitz's Chocolate Sorbet (from The Perfect Scoop via Epicurious)
This recipe yields the most satisfying small scale dessert ever. Hugely popular with chocolate mavens throughout the blogosphere and beyond. Just be sure to remember to freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker in advance, don't skip the step where you blend (I was lazy and omitted it the 1st time and the results were grainy), and make sure that the chocolate mixture is really cold before you start to churn it. And, of course, remember the usual admonition to use best quality chocolate. I promise, the results will be ambroisial.

Makes 1 quart (1 liter)

2 1/4 cups (555 ml) water
1 cup (200 g) sugar
3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the water with the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Let it boil, continuing to whisk, for 45 seconds.

Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it's melted, then stir in the vanilla extract and the remaining 3/4 cup (180 ml) water. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend for 15 seconds. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. If the mixture has become too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.

April Bloomfield's Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from A Girl and Her Pig by April Bloomfield.
April Bloomfield holds almost legendary status on the East coast for her innovative snout to tail British cooking at her restaurants, the Breslin and the Spotted Pig. She recently has attained a higher West coast profile since collaborating on the reopening of a legendary San Francisco North Beach cafe, Tosca.
I was interested in taking a look at her cookbook after reading an amusing home cook's review of it by one of my heart-throbs, actor Stanley Tucci, and was puzzled by the fact that few libraries in my area owned it. Turns out it seems that the anti-animal butchering contingent were offended by the cover photo of April carrying a (dead? sleeping?) pig on her shoulders, and negatively reviewed it. I guess I ignored the cover, but went straight for these moist and tender oatmeal cookies.

This dough needs a little head start- soak your raisins the night before and it's best to let the dough chill for a few hours before baking. I make a double recipe because they keep well in or out of the freezer.
Makes about twenty two inch cookies

3/4 cup mixed raisins (golden raisins, Thompson seedless, currants- can use any combination but cookies are nicer with a variety)
10 Tb. butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
large pinch of salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds or pecans)

Soak the raisins in water for about 4 hours or overnight. Drain well and pat dry on a dishtowel before adding them to the cookie dough.

Measure the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a small bowl and stir together with a fork. Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, along with the vanilla, beating about 30 seconds between each addition. Add the flour mixture on low speed, mixing just until the flour is incorporated. Stir in the oats, raisins, and nuts by hand.

Chill the dough for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Form the dough into 1 1/2" diameter balls and line them up about 3" apart on the cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minues. Rotate the pan and bake the cookies for another 5-10 minutes, until they are just firm. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet (they will continue baking a bit), then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cassoulet & Company

Little did I know that fateful day when I chose to try my hand at cassoulet that I was stepping into the middle of a centuries-old French controversy about it's origin. (Controversies in France are passed on like old linens and armoires from generation to generation a La Cousine Bette)  Three cities in southwestern France- Toulouse (lard, mutton, Toulouse sausage, duck or goose), Castelnaudary (pork, pork rind, sausage, occasional goose), and Carcassonne (mutton and the occasional partridge) -  all claim to be the originators of the dish. Though truth be told, it was probably a thrifty housewife or innkeeper who cobbled together a hearty white bean-based dish with odds and ends of meats left over in the larder.

Canal du Midi

Funnily enough, prior to the advent of the Picky Eater, old Dr. Hal and I once toured through the Languedoc, stopped over in these very villes, and spent several days following the course of the Canal du Midi by car from vineyard to vineyard. Those dim recollections from the distant past must have spurred my interest, as I do vaguely recall eating cassoulet for lunch in one of those quirky only in Europe restaurants run by a cooperative of housewives. Though this time, quelle horreur! I was, proposing to make a vegetarian version.

Dan's cassoulet- lusciously earthy!

With surprising synchronicity, across the continent my compatriot in cooking and dear college friend, Danial Elliott, was developing his own (non-vegetarian) cassoulet adaptation, based on recipes from Saveur & Julia Child. I love Dan's recipe because you get all the delicious richness of a meaty cassoulet without laboring for the proverbial three days, as is expected for an authentic traditional style dish. In fact, by soaking the beans a day ahead, I managed to make both recipes simultaneously in an afternoon. To further gild the lily, Dr. Hal insisted on roasting some duck legs for an extra soupcon of gluttony in our meat version. Drink a hearty peasant wine from southwestern France with your cassoulet similar to the Clos La Coutale 2010 from Cahors that Dan and I both enjoyed at our geographically distant tables.

And what would my personal ideal cassoulet be? I would propose a hybrid of the two recipes- use the vegetarian but add about 2 lbs. of sauteed pork shoulder cubes and a pound of my favorite Aidell's chicken sausage with basil & roasted garlic, also sauteed.

For dessert, try a thin slice of David Lebovotz's rich but not heavy Chocolate Pain d'Epices, accompanied by a dollop of creme fraiche, sour cream, or vanilla ice cream. It's spicy flavors hold up after the cassoulet without making you feel bilious.

Meat (left) & Veg (right)

Les Grandes Cassoulets

Prepare the white beans, which work the same way for either version-                                                   1 lb. pound Rancho Gordo cassoulet beans, or other dry white beans, such as Great Northern
1 medium onion sliced
1 large herb bouquet made up of
8 parsley sprigs, 4 garlic cloves,
1/2 teaspoon thyme and 2 imported bay leaves,
all tied in washed cheesecloth (recommended- otherwise you have to handpick the herbs out of the beans after they're cooked)
1 Tb salt, or to taste

Pick over the beans to remove any debris, wash and drain them, place in a large pot, cover with water and soak overnight. Or, if thinking far enough ahead to soak the beans overnight just isn't on your bandwidth, use the Julia Child approved quick soak method:
After you have washed & drained the beans, put them in a large pot and cover with water. Bring the beans to a boil and let them boil for exactly 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover it, and let the beans sit for exactly one hour.

Wrapped bouquet garni containing parsley, thyme, garlic, bay leaves

When the beans have finished soaking, drain and cover them with water by two inches. Bring them to a simmer and add the onion and herb bouquet. Simmer slowly, partially covered, until the beans are just tender, about 1 1/2 hours, adding boiling water if needed to keep the beans covered at all times, and about 1 tablespoon of salt to taste near the end of the cooking. (Beans may be cooked up to 3 days in advance then refrigerated. Reheat them just to a simmer before proceeding with the cassoulet or reheat the whole casserole together in a low oven, as described below.)

Assembling the meat cassoulet- note the crispy duck legs & thighs.

for Traditional Meat Cassoulet
Prepare the meats:
Olive oil
Salt
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 lb. pork butt, cut into 1" pieces
1⁄2 lb. pancetta, cut into 1/2" cubes (caution: pancetta may be salty! If in doubt, simmer it in water for 10 minutes.)
1 large herb bouquet made up of 8 parsley sprigs, 4 garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 2 imported bay leaves, all tied in washed cheesecloth
1 14 oz. can whole peeled canned tomatoes
1 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 lb. pork sausages
2 cups bread crumbs
1 Tb finely chopped garlic
2 tbsp. chopped parsley

Optional: 2 - 2 1/2 lbs. whole duck legs

Heat 2 Tb. olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pork cubes and brown on all sides, for about 8 minutes. Add the pancetta, and cook until it has rendered its fat and is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain off all but 2-3 tbsp. of the cooking fat and reserve it for later. Add the onions and carrots, and cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.  Add the herb bouquet to the pan with the tomatoes, and cook until liquid thickens, 8–10 minutes. Add the wine, and cook, simmering quickly, until it is reduced by half. Add the broth, salt if needed, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, uncovered, until the liquid has thickened, about 1 hour. Discard the herbs, and set the dutch oven aside.
Brown the sausages in 1 Tb of the reserved fat until nicely browned, about 8 minutes. Cut the sausages into 1" pieces.
If you choose to add the duck legs, brown them skin side down in a saute pan, turn and continue cooking 4-5 minutes more, then roast them in a 300 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until fully cooked.
To assemble the cassoulet:
Warm a 4-quart casserole by immersing/filling it with hot water for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the beans from their liquid, but reserve the liquid. Arrange a third of the beans in the bottom of the casserole. Cover them with half of the pork and pancetta mixture and half the sausages. Repeat with another layer of beans, then the remaining meats. End with a layer of beans, coming to within about 1 inch of the rim of the casserole. Ladle the pork cooking liquid plus as much bean cooking liquid as needed to just cover the beans. Mix the breadcrumbs, garlic, and parsley together and spread the mixture over the top of the beans, pressing it down lightly. Drizzle the reserved cooking fat over the breadcrumbs.
Cooking the cassoulet:**
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Set the casserole on a rack in the upper third of the oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the  breadcrumb topping has crusted and browned lightly.  Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking 15-30 minutes or more until the bread crumbs are nicely browned and the cassoulet is heated through.
** If you have prepared the cassoulet ingredients ahead, and are reheating from the refrigerator, Julia Child suggests in Julia Child & More Company that it is best to slowly reheat the casserole in a 325 degree oven for an hour and then proceed with the "official" final baking. This technique works for both versions.

The beans are the stars of the veggie version.

Vegetarian Cassoulet
Deb Perlman of Smitten Kitchen adapted this recipe from the March 2008 issue of Gourmet. I used a New Orleans-style brown roux to give this cassoulet additional richness and depth of flavor. In contrast to the traditional method of making roux, which requires mega-minutes of constant stirring, preparing the roux in the oven is a no-brainer that needs minimal supervision. The tablespoon of Dijon mustard stirred in at the end nicely neutralizes any too "tomato-ey" taste and adds a bit of tanginess.

Oven Brown Roux (from Alton Brown)

4 oz vegetable oil

4 oz flour

Cassoulet vegetables
1 lb. white beans, soaked and cooked as described above
3 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only)
4 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch-wide pieces
3 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch-wide pieces
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tb olive oil
6 Tb brown roux (preparation instructions below)
1 large herb bouquet made up of 8 parsley sprigs, 4 garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 2 imported bay leaves, all tied in washed cheesecloth
1 19-ounce can diced tomatoes, with their juice
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 quart stock (vegetable or chicken if you're not rigidly vegetarian)
1 Tb (or to taste) Dijon mustard
Salt & pepper to taste

Garlic crumbs
4 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs from a baguette
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup olive oil

For the roux:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Put the vegetable oil and flour into a small oven proof casserole and whisk together to combine. Place the casserole on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, and bake for 1 1/2 hours, whisking 2 to 3 times throughout the cooking process.

Make the cassoulet:
Prepare the white beans as described above.
Halve leeks lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, then wash well and pat dry.

Heat the 2 Tb of olive oil and 6 Tb of roux in a large heavy pot over medium heat and add the leeks, carrots, garlic, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, and the herb bouquet. Then add the stock, and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender but not falling apart, about 30 minutes. Remove the herb bouquet and add the mustard and salt & pepper to taste.

Finish the cassoulet:**
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Mash some of beans in pot with a potato masher or back of a spoon to thicken the broth. Reheat the cassoulet and transfer it to a warmed oven proof casserole. Mix the breadcrumbs, garlic, and parsley together and spread the mixture over the top of the beans, pressing it down lightly. Drizzle the 1/4 cup olive oil over the breadcrumbs. Set the casserole on a rack in the upper third of the oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the  breadcrumb topping has crusted and browned lightly.  Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking 15-30 minutes or more until the bread crumbs are nicely browned and the cassoulet is heated through.
** If reheating cold ingredients, see note under baking the casserole for the meat version.

Pain d'Epices au Chocolat
from The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz
Note: I made 1 1/2 recipes which baked up quite prettily in just 25 minutes in two of my tres chic 5-cup capacity French loaf pans. Melt the chocolate & butter together before you do anything else, and it will be sufficiently cooled by the time that you need it.
Makes one 9" round cake

7 Tb butter, cut in chunks plus more to grease the pan
7 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 c. flour
3 Tb unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 tsp whole anise seeds (I was skeptical, but they added a flavorful but subtle touch)
2 large eggs (room temp)
2 large egg yolks (room temp)
1/4 c honey
2/3 c sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9" round cake pan, line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust the bottom and sides of the pan with flour or cocoa powder and shake out the excess.

In a double boiler or large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring until smooth. Let cool to room temperature.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and ground spices. Stir in the anise seed.

In the bowl of a standing mixer (OK to use portable, but tedious) whip the eggs, yolks, honey, and sugar until thick like a mousse, about 5 minutes on high speed. (This is the secret process that keeps the cake from baking up to a brick-like consistency. Fold by hand with a rubber spatula a third of the whipped egg mixture into the chocolate and butter, then fold the chocolate back into the remaining egg batter until just throughly mixed.

Add the dry ingredients one-third at a time, sprinkling them on top of the chocolate batter and folding them in until just incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cake feels barely set in the center, but still moist.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Turn the cake out of the pan and cool completely on a rack. When cool, wrap the cake in plastic and let it stand at room temperature for 24 hours to allow the flavors to develop.

New York, New York: Three Perfect P.E. Days- Day One

If you hate Paris, can you love New York? Apparently, if you have the sensibilities of a Picky Eater you can. After a year or two in Pittsburgh she is a veteran of urban life, and quite enjoys the many amenities of the Big Apple, especially the museums, amazing shopping and upscale restaurants with vegetable options. So, here for your visual pleasure, is the first of three perfect days in New York, as endorsed by the Picky Eater.

Day One: Downtown (on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday)

Emerge from the Union Square subway station on the northwest corner of the park in the midst of the famed Union Square Greenmarket and rub shoulders with chefs and schoolchildren as you explore the bounty brought to the heart of Manhattan from as far afield as Vermont, the Hudson River Valley, Pennsylvania, and  New Jersey.

Tasting late harvest apples.

This heavenly visual feast includes homegrown lavender, maple syrup, heritage apples, hard cider, honey, focaccia, pretzels, flowers, fresh & aged cheeses, etc. etc etc. Pick up a little something for an alfresco lunch- a huge apple perhaps. Enjoy the gentle irony of a decidedly down home greenmarket in the shadows of one of the ultimate urban environments.

Lush interior of abc Carpet & Home

Saunter north along Broadway a few blocks until you reach the circa 1882 W&J Sloane Building at the corner of 19th Street, now home to what we consider one of the quintessential New York shopping experiences- abc Carpet & Home. As you enter, this contemporary take on a bazaar style marketplace entices you deeper & deeper to explore its oh-so exquisite (& pricey) treasures. Here's what the Picky Eater has to say, and I quote-
"PRETTY. Beautiful clothing, jewelry, be sure to check out the eco-friendly stuff on the mezzanine.  Minaret-esque umbrellas handstitched in Brooklyn for $400."
We don't know how many people actually end up buying anything at abc Carpet, but the pleasure of  looking is worth well more than the price of admission. The salespeople are unfailingly polite, even to browsers, the bathrooms are clean (on the 2nd & 4th floors), and if you aren't going anywhere else for lunch, we highly recommend the abc Kitchen, a satellite restaurant from the eponymous chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The menu includes a nice selection of vegetarian choices at relatively (by NYC standards) moderate prices that satisfy even the Picky Eater:
roasted beets with housemade yogurt        10
roasted kabocha squash toast, fresh ricotta and apple cider vinegar 11
lentil soup, celery root, parmesan and herbs 14

If you are feeling touristy, continue north on Broadway four blocks to Madison Square Park, tilt your head back, and take in an amazing view of the Empire State Building. Then turn around and try to see at least two sides of that fanciful triangular NYC original and early (1902) skyscraper, the Flatiron Building. If you can stand the chaos (not much to the Picky Eater's taste) cross the street to the mecca of everything foodie Italian - Eataly - brainchild of Mario Batali, and Joe & Lydia, with multiple restaurants and cafes, including a rooftop beer garden (don't look for the Picky Eater there, either), and acres of ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat alimenti Italiani.

But, the Picky Eater grows impatient, it's time to head south to Soho for a little (or maybe a lot!) shopping. Take the Fifth Avenue side of the Flatiron Building and make your way through the heart of Greenwich Village, Washington Square Park. Once you've crossed the park while admiring the Greek Revival row houses, continue four blocks in the same direction on any of the southerly arteries- McDougal, Sullivan, or Thompson until you reach the nexus of Soho shopping- Prince Street - and watch the Picky Eater's eyes light up and a massive smile plaster her face.

For an excellent Soho shopping experience, it is best to schedule your visit early in the week,  when the visiting hoards seem less in evidence, and avoid Broadway, where the most egregious chain stores have installed themselves.

Prince St, Soho, as rendered in gingerbread by the Picky Eater. Note the wrought iron ornamentation.

While part of the pleasure of Soho shopping is your own unexpected discoveries, these are the Picky Eater's personal Soho shopping favorites:
1. Dusica Dusica 67 Prince St @ Crosby St (212) 966-9099
The Picky Eater's favorite for elegant taupe, blush, and black knit tops. Mores the pity, the amazing original coat and shoes designs are prohibitively expensive but oh so fun to browse.

So many boots, so little time ...

2. Frye Boot Company (Soho "Flagship" store) 113 Spring St (212) 226-3793                                The place for a new pair of boots, especially if the mater is paying. Appears to stock everything in all categories- even children's shoes & boots. Also has the best non-restaurant bathroom in lavatory impaired Soho, and you don't need to spring for a pair of boots to use it, just ask!

3. INA Designer Consignment 101 Thompson St (212) 941-4757                                                         Still way, way out of our price range, but fun to look at the vintage Chanel, Alexander McQueen, etc.

4. Purl Soho 459 Broome St (212) 420-8796                                                                                       Not your auntie's yarn store- sleek interior, cool yarns & fabrics, even cooler employees. Purl's website, the Purl Bee is also totally trendy (in a good way), and incredibly generous with their project instructions, which do always seem to look best made with Purl Soho goods.

5. Vosges Haut-Chocolat — SoHo 132 Spring St between Green & Webster (212) 625-2929        You seem to see a chocolate boutique on almost every other block in Soho, but the Picky Eater's pick is Vosges. While she eschews the famous bacon chocolate bars she does likes the "Smoke & Stout" and "Pink Himalayan Crystal Salt Caramel" flavors. We have found Vosges to always be quite generous with their samples as well.
6. Dean & Deluca 560 Broadway @ Prince St (212) 226-6800  Mon-Fri 7 am-8 pm; Sat-Sun 8 am-8 pm   Like any great cultural innovation that spawned legions of imitators, it has hard to imagine today how unique Dean & Deluca was when it opened in 1977- offering foodstuffs that were unfamiliar even to sophisticated New Yorkers- virgin olive oil radicchio, sun-dried tomatoes, etc. And how many scenes in romantic comedies from the 1980's and beyond were set in D&DeL's aisles? Will & Grace, The Devil Wears Prada, and Julie & Julia, to name a few.                                                                                                                                                       

7. Officina Profumo – Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella (aka LAFCO New York)  285 Lafayette St (212) 925-0001
Admittedly not as spectacular as the mothership pharmacy in Florence, we still love being able to purchase the Santa Maria Novella soaps and lotions here in the U.S., which are still more or less formulated the way they have been since the middle ages.

Isabel Marant vitrine

We also love to gaze longingly at the display windows of Isabel Marant, but are too intimidated to go inside. Some other too hip for us boutiques are the famous Rem Koolhas designed Prada store on  Broadway and Alexander Wang.

They say that Gudrun Sjoden is the most cheerful shop in Soho.

Last shopping stop is at Gudrun Sjoden, the only stateside outlet of the eponymous Swedish clothing manufacturer of funky cheerful mommy-type clothes.

Most Soho shops are open Mon-Sat 11 am-7 pm ; Sun12 pm-6 pm for your browsing pleasure.

Yes, it's all cast-iron!

How are your feet holding up at this point? If you can still stagger upright, it's worth a five minute walk down Greene Street to Canal ogling the incredible versions of Renaissance and neoclassical ornaments in cast-iron that adorn most of the buildings. Feel free to rap your knuckles on one of the pillars, just to prove to yourself that it's metal and not masonry!

By this point the Picky Eater is most likely ready to grab a bus and head back to her Airbnb apartment on the Upper West Side, but making a pit stop at her favorite skin and hair care emporium- Malin & Goetz. Its cool clinical interior and clean scented beauty products must appeal to her chemist's sensibilities.

"Chard in a box" at Dovetail

After a brief rest, it's off to a vegetable-focused dinner at Dovetail, a chic but affordable Michelin one-* UWS restaurant. The Picky Eater loved her chard in a box and "awesome" Salted Caramel Mousse with Popcorn Ice Cream. A perfect end to a perfect day.
Addresses
Downtown:

abc Carpet & Home 888 Broadway @ East 19th St  Open Mon-Sat 10 am-7 pm; Sun 12 pm-6 pm
abc kitchen 35 East 18th St Brunch: Sat-Sun 11 am-3:30 pm; Lunch: Mon-Fri noon-3 pm; Dinner Mon-Sun 5:30 pm-10:00 pm
Alexander Wang 103 Grand St @ Mercer (212) 977-9683
EATALY NYC 200 5th Ave (212) 229-2560 Open daily @ 10 am; Caffe Lavazza opens @ 8 am
Flatiron Building 172 5th Ave (bet 22nd & 23rd)
Gudrun Sjoden  50 Greene St (212) 219-2510
Isabel Marant 469 Broome St (212) 219-2284                                                                                   Prada 575 Broadway near Prince St (212) 334-8888                                                                                                                                                                                                          
Union Square Greenmarket Union Square & East 17th St  Mon, Weds, Fri, Sat 8 am-6 pm    
Westside:
Dovetail  103 West 77th St  (212) 362-3800 Serving dinner daily and brunch on Sunday
Malin & Goetz 455 Amsterdam Ave @ 82nd St Mon-Fri 11 am-8 pm; Sat noon-8 pm; Sun noon-6 pm

               

                                                                                                                                                           

Basta Pasta! Cooking Pasta for a Crowd

Lacking a magical pasta pot like Strega Nona (grandmother witch), a favorite character from the pen of legendary children's book author and illustrator, Tomie DePaola, I recently faced the challenge of serving 4 pounds of pasta to a crowd in some sort of condition that was relatively fresh and tasty (vs. limp and gummy) and could be reheated on demand as needed. A quick perusal you-know-where led me to a quite detailed explanation on Yahoo Voices,  "How To Hold Pasta for Later Service." Armed with this sage advice from Ron James, a denizen of the blogosphere, and a freezer bin of ice cubes, I set to work.

I cooked one pound of pasta at a time, in a huge pot of boiling salted water. My first "truc" (French for little kitchen trick) was meant to make it easy to quickly extract the pasta from the boiling water without having to empty and repeatedly start a new pot of water. I nested a metal kitchen colander that caught on the edges of the pot and stayed immersed deeply enough in the pot to hold the pasta as it cooked. The pasta was dropped into the colander in the boiling pot of water, making it easy to stir it (about every 3 minutes) until it was just short of my desired state of al dente, which was about 1-2 minutes less than the published cooking time.

When the time came to remove the pasta, I grabbed the colander and immediately dumped the pasta into a large bowl of ice cubes and chilled water that I had already prepared in the sink. This dunking stopped the cooking and chilled the pasta in one go. The next step was to spread it out in a layer on a lint-free dishtowel, rollup the dishtowel and let the pasta dry a bit while I started the next batch cooking. (See how smart I am- still had my boiling pasta water at the ready!)

After the pasta had dried a bit- maybe five minutes - I tossed it in a plastic storage container with a drizzle of olive oil, covered and refrigerated it. Voila! Only 3 more pounds to go.

Reheating the pasta meant following the process in reverse. I again set up the boiling pot of water with the colander. This time I used tongs to put a portion or more of cold pasta in the colander, let it reheat and finish cooking to perfection (just two - three minutes), removed it with the tongs to drain briefly in a second colander or strainer set in a large bowl, and then served it forth. (Did I mention that the reheating operation was taking place outside the confines of a kitchen on a hot plate? Aren't you impressed with my improvisational cooking skills?!)

To sauce the pasta I used multiple recipes of Mario Batali's Essential Tomato Sauce from Food & Wine. My recommendation is to make one more recipe than you think should be enough, just trust me on this- you don't want to run short. Because my crowd included numerous potential picky eaters (young children), I offered grated cheese and sliced olives as condiments.

Batali's Essential Tomato Sauce
The simple additions of shredded carrot and fresh thyme add a deeper dimension to this sauce's flavor. Another example of why Mario makes the big bucks!
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Makes about 5 cups (If it were me, I would make one recipe per pound of pasta)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup finely shredded carrot
1 TB finely chopped thyme
Two 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes with their juices, crushed
Salt (to taste)

In a saucepan, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened and just starting to brown, 10 minutes. Add the carrot and thyme and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring, until thickened and reduced to 5 cups, 30 minutes. Season with salt.
The tomato sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

So, there you have it- the sum total of my knowledge of mass pasta cooking. Have I told you about the time I made 1000 crepes for a wedding party of 500?